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Good Smile Racing Team Wins First Race of Super GT Season
posted on by Eric Stimson
On April 8 and 9, the 2017 Super GT car racing season began with two races at the Okayama International Circuit. Good Smile Racing & Team Ukyo, the team sponsored by the figure maker Good Smile Company which features Hatsune Miku prominently on its vehicle, won the April 9 race, its first time doing so since 2014, when it was the champion in the GT300 race. Despite dropping to 16th place during a pit stop as the team switched drivers and tires, the car, a Mercedes-AMG GT3, opened a decisive lead. It came in second place to another AMG on the April 8 race, which was a preliminary run in wet conditions.
The team was grateful for its victory and hopeful for more. Good Smile CEO Takanori Aki said he "felt a lot of pressure" from the team ahead of the race after its two-season-long drought. Manager Ukyō Katayama said "Serves you right!" when the team won, which he explained was directed at the team rather than its competitors; he had become frustrated with its weak spirit.
The Good Smile Racing team promotes itself as "racing with the fans" and rewards its sponsors with figures like Racing Miku. Before its 2014 victory, it won the GT300 race in 2011 as well. The team now aims for a victory in the next races on May 3 and 4 at the Fuji Speedway.
Source: Animate Times
